Rotatable dispensing container closure



July 26, 1966 R. c. ALLEN ROTATABLE DISPEN'SIMG CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed March 2, 1964 INVENTOR L ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,262,614 ROTATABLE DISPENSING CONTAINER CLOSURE Richard C. Allen, Glen Ellyn, 11]., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 348,420 14 Claims. (Cl. 222-545) This invention relates to a novel dispensing closure which includes a pair of apertured relatively rotatable caps which require the application of a relatively high torque or turning moment to rotate the cap toward a dispensing position in which a plurality of dispensing openings are in registration thereby reducing the inadvertent or accidental opening of the closure by a child and the undesired dispensing of a product packaged in a container with which the dispensing closure is associated.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing closure comprising a spin cap and a snap cap including respective first and second dispensing openings in end walls of the caps, each of the caps including a skirt, the skirt of the snap cap surrounding the skirt of the spin cap, one of the skirts being provided with a bead and the other of the skirts being provided with a groove to receive the bead, and the groove having a camming wall cooperative with the bead for urging the end walls of the cap into intimate engagement with each other whereby a relatively high torque must be applied to the snap cap to rotate the same relative to the spin cap for bringing the openings into registration in the dispensing position of the closure.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing closure including a spin cap and a snap cap, each of the caps including an end wall having a plurality of dispensing openings and a depending peripheral skirt, the peripheral skirt of the snap cap surrounding the skirt of the spin-cap and having a groove into which is received a bead forming a portion of the spin cap, a plurality of axially directed bosses on one of the end walls, means between the skirts of the spin and snap caps to limit the rotation of the snap cap between a dispensing and a bosses which cooperate to urge the end walls away from each other causing a camming action between the camming wall of the groove and the bead as the snap cap is rotated.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing closure of the type described including a plurality of keys and keyways forming portions of the spin and snap caps for limiting the rotation of the snap cap with respect to the spin cap between non-dispensing and dispensing positions of the closure.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing closure of the type immediately abovedescribed in which the keys and the keyways are arranged with respect to the plurality of openings to register the openings in the spin and snap caps when thesnap cap is rotated in a clockwise direction relative to the spin cap.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing closure constructed in accordance with the foregoing objects in which the axially directed bosses provide a limited area of contact between the end walls of the spin cap and the snap cap to render the dispensing 3,262,614 Patented July 26, 1966 closure relatively dust-proof when the same is associated with a container packaged with a dusty or pulverulent product.

With the above, and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the'invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top perspective view of the novel dispensing closure of this invention, and illustrates the dispensing closure secured to a neck of a container.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, and illustrates a spin cap and a snap cap of the dispensing closure.

FIGURE 3 is a reduced fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, and illustrates cooperative keys and keyways forming portions of the respective spin and snap caps.

FIGURE 4 is a reduced fragmentary sectional view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 2, and illustrates a plurality of axially projecting bosses carried by an end wall of the snap cap and a dispensing opening formed in alternate ones of the bosses.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the spin and snap caps of FIGURE 2, and illustrates a dispensing opening in an end wall of the spin cap in registration with one of the plurality of dispensing openings of the snap cap.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of another closure constructed in accordance with this invention, and illustrates the dispensing closure mounted on the neck of a container.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 77 of FIGURE 6, and illustrates a spin cap and a snap cap of the dispensing closure interlocked in the dispensing position thereof by one of a plurality of cooperative bosses and recesses.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 77 of FIGURE 6 after the snap cap has been rotated relative to the spin cap, and illustrates the relationship of the bosses, recesses and dispensing openings in a non-dispensing position of the dispensing closure.

A novel dispensing closure constructed in accordance with this invention is best illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 5 of the drawing to which attention is directed, and is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The dispensing closure -10 includes a spin cap 11 and a snap cap 12 both of which are constructed from relatively resilient plastic material, such as polyethylene.

The spin cap 11 has a slightly concave end wall 13 integrally joined at a radius portion 14 to a depending peripheral skirt 15. A plurality of identical dispensing openings 16 (FIGURE 3) are formed in the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11. Adjacent ones of the plurality of dispensing openings 16 are spaced equally from each other and each of the dispensing openings 16 is spaced an identical distance from the axis of the spin cap 11. In the preferred form of the invention there are seven such dispesing openings 16 formed in the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11, however, more or less of this number of dispensing openings can be provided in the spin cap 11.

The depending peripheral skirt 15 of the spin cap 11 includes an inner surface or Wall 17, an upper external surface or wall 18, a lower external surface or wall 20 spaced from the upper external surface 18 and a bottom edge 21. An external peripheral bead 22 forms an integral portion of the skirt 15 between the exterior surfaces 18 and 20. The head 22 includes a well rounded annu- 24 and a lower annular surface 25. The annular surface 25 lies in a plane substantially normal to the peripheral surface 24 of the bead 22 and the lower external surface 20 of the skirt 15. The juncture of the surfaces 24 and 25 of the bead 2 define a generally annular bearing edge 26.

A plurality of identical keys or projections 27 (FIG- URE 3) project radially outwardly beyond the upper external surface 18 of the skirt 15 between the annular bead 22 and the end wall 13. Each of the keys 27 includes oppositely directed abutment surfaces 28 and 30, the purpose of which will be described more fully hereafter.

The snap cap 12 comprises a substantially thick end wall 31 (FIGURE 2) which is centrally recessed and reduced in thicknes at 32. The end wall 31 is joined by an annular radius portion 33 to a depending peripheral skirt 34. The snap cap 12 is externally telescoped with respect to the spin cap 11 and a bottom surface 35 of the end wall 31 is generally spaced from the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11 except for a plurality of integral circular bosses 36 and 37 contacting the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11. The bosses 36 and 37 are substantially identical except for the provision of an identical dispensing opening 38 in each of the bosses 36 whereas no such openings are provided in the bosses 37. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, there are seven bosses 36 corresponding to the seven dispensing openings 16 in the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11 and a single dispensing opening 38 in each of these bosses 36. The bosses 36 are spaced from each other and from the axis of the snap cap 12 a distance substantially identical to the spacing between adjacent ones of the dispensing openings 16 and the distance between each of the dispensing openings 16 and the axis of the spin cap 11.

The bosses 37 are similarly spaced and each boss 37 is positioned between adjacent ones of the bosses 36, as is clearly illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. The

reason for the particular arrangement of the bosses 36,

37 and the dispensing openings 16 and 38 is such that the dispensing closure 10 can either be closed or opened for purposes of dispensing by the rotation of the snap cap 12 with respect to the spin cap 11 in a manner which will be described hereafter.

The depending peripheral skirt 34 of the snap cap 12 has an exterior wall or surface 40 having an annular knurled portion 41 to facilitate the gripping of the snap cap 12. An internal wall or surface 42 of the skirt 34 is provided with a plurality of axially extending inwardly directed identical projections 43 between adjacent ones of which lies a keyway 44, as is best illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings. The number of keyways 44 correspond to the number of keys 27 of the spin cap 11 and each key 27 is received in an associated keyway 44. Each of the keyways 44 further includes opposing abutment surfaces 45 and 46. As is best illustrated in FIG- URE 3 of the drawing, each abutment surface 46 of an associated keyway 44 cooperates with an abutment surface 30 on an associated key 27 of the spin cap 11 to limit the counterclockwise rotation of the snap cap 12 with respect to the spin cap 11, at which point the openings 16 and 38 are not in registration, as shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. When the snap cap 12 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 1, to bring the openings 16 and 38 into registration, each of the abutment surfaces 45 of the keyways 44 contact an abutment surface 28 of an associated key 27 of the spin cap 11 to stop the rotation of the snap cap 12in a position in which the openings 16 and 38 are substantially axially aligned (FIG- URE Immediately below the plurality of projections 43 of the snap cap 12 is an annular groove 50 (FIGURE 2) opening radially inwardly toward and receiving therein the bead 22 of the spin cap 11. The groove 50 includes an upper wall or surface 51 disposed at an angle of approximately thirty degrees with the vertical. The groove 59 further includes an annular wall or surface 52 opposing the surface 24 of the bead 22 and a lower inwardly and downwardly directed camming wall or surface 53. The natural resilience of the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11 and the concave configuration thereof constantly urges the snap cap 12 upwardly as viewed in FIGURE 2 of the drawings to constantly urge the camming wall or surface 53 into engagement with the bottom annular edge 26 of the bead 22 of the spin cap 11. This camming action between the edge 26 of the bead 22 and the camming surface 53 of the groove 50 renders it necessary to apply a high torque or turning moment to the snap cap 12 to rotate the same relative to the spin cap 11 to either bring the openings 16 and 38 into or out of registration. This high turning moment coupled with the clockwise rotation of the snap cap 12 to bring the openings 16 and 38 into registration, as opposed to the normal counterclockwise rotation to open a conventional closure, renders the dispensing closure 16 of this invention relatively child-proof in the sense that the inadvertent or accidental rotation of the snap cap 12 to the dispensing position thereof by a child is generally precluded.

The dispensing closure 10 of FIGURES 1 through 5 of the drawing is secured to a container 55 subsequent to the filling thereof with a pulverulent or dusty product, such as baby powder. The product is introduced into the container 55 through a neck 56 defining ;a mouth opening (unnumbered). The neck 56 of the container 55 is provided with an exterior shallow head 57 which maintains an exterior surface 58 of the neck 56 in spaced relationship to the interior surface 17 of the spin cap skirt 15. The purpose of this spacing is to provide an annular volume between the surface 17 of the spin cap 11 and the surface 58 of the container neck 56 into which material can flow when the spin cap 11 is immovably secured to a shoulder 6i) of the container 55 by a spin-welding operation, the details of which form no part of this invention. However, the rapid rotation of the spin cap 11 during the spinwelding operation melts, fuses and joins together material of both the container shoulder 60 and the spin cap 11 at the bottom edge 21 thereof to form a generally annular area of fusion 61. This spin-welding is accomplished after the snap cap 12 and the spin cap 11 have been assembled by interlocking the head 22 of the spin cap 11 in the groove 56 of the snap cap 12 and thereafter rotating the snap cap 12 to indirectly rotate the spin cap 11 through the keys 27 and keyways 44. For this reason a lowermost edge portion 62 (FIGURE 2) of the snap cap 12 is positioned substantially above the bottom edge 21 of the spin cap 11, thus preventing the formation of a spin-weld between the bottom edge 62 of the snap cap 12 and the shoulder 60 of the container 55.

A product packaged in the container 55 is dispensed therefrom by rotating the snap cap 12 in a clockwise direction as Viewed in FIGURES 1 and 3 of the drawing until the abutment faces 45 of the keyways 44 contact the abutment faces 28 of the keys 27 at which point the openings 16 and 38 of the respective caps 11. and 12 are in axial alignment as shown in FIGURE 5. In this position, each of the bosses 36 intimately engage the wall 13 of the spin cap 11 and prevent pulverulent material from entering the area between the surface 35 of the snap cap 12 and the wall 13 of the spin cap 11, thus rendering the dispensing closure 10 substantially dust-proof. When the dispensing operation is completed the snap cap 12 is merely rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 3 of the drawings until the faces or surfaces 36 and 46 are in abutment, as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawing. In this position, the bosses 37 overlie the openings 16 and intimately engage the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11 to, again, prevent the pulverulent material in the container 55 from escaping through the opening 16 into the area between the snap cap 12 and the spin cap 11.

Another dispensing closure of this invention is shown in FIGURES 6 through 8 of the drawings and is generally designated by the reference numeral 65. The dispensing closure 65 comprises a snap cap 66 and a spin cap 67, each of which is preferably constructed from plastic material, such as polyethylene.

The spin cap 67 comprises an end wall 68 having upperv and lower surfaces (unnumbered). The end wall 68 of the spin cap 67 is joined to an integral depending peripheral skirt 70 by an annular radius portion 71. A plurality of dispensing openings 72, only one of which is illustrated in FIGURES 7 and 8, are formed in the end wall 68 of the spin cap 67. In the preferred embodiment of the dispensing closure 65, there are seven such dispensing openings 72 and the relationship of adjacent ones of the openings 72 as well as the distance of each of the openings 72 from the axis of the spin cap 67 is identical, for the purpose of this invention, to the relationship of the dispensing openings 16 of the spin cap 11.

Midway between each of the dispensing openings 72 in the end wall 68 of the spin cap 67 is an upwardly directed integral convex boss 73. There are seven such bosses 73 with each boss being positioned between adjacent ones of the openings 72, and each boss being spaced from the axis of the spin cap 67 a distance equal to the distance between the axis of the spin cap 67 and the dispensing openings 72.

The peripheral skirt 70 of the spin cap 67 terminates in a bottom edge 74 and includes an integral external annular head 75. The bead 75 of the skirt 70 is identical to the head 22 of the skirt 15 and it is therefore considered unnecessary to describe the head 75 for a complete understanding of the construction and operation of the dispensing closure 65.

The snap cap 66 of the dispensing closure 65 com-prises a thickened end wall 76 having a reduced central area 77. The end wall 76 of the snap cap 66 is integrally joined by an annular radius portion 78 to a depending peripheral skirt 80 telescoped about the skirt 70 of the spin cap 67.

The end wall 76 of the snap cap 66 is provided with a plurality of dispensing openings 81, only one of which is shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 of the drawing. There are preferably seven such dispensing openings 81, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 6 of the drawing, and each of the dispensing openings 81 is spaced from an adjacent opening 81 a distance equal to the spacing between the dispensing openings 72 in the end wall 68 of the spin cap 67. The dispensing openings 81 are also spaced a distance from the axis of the snap cap 66 equal to the distance between the openings 72 and the axis of the spin cap 67. Thus, in a dispensing position of the dispensing closure 65 (FIG- URE 7), the plurality of dispensing openings 72 and 81 are in alignment.

Midway between adjacent ones of the plurality of dispensing openings 81 in the end wall 76 of the snap cap 66 is a downwardly opening concave recess or indentation 82, only one of which is illustrated in FIGURES 7 and 8 of the drawing. There are seven such recesses 82 in the end wall 76 of the snap cap 66, and each recess 82 is spaced from the axis of the snap cap 66 a distance corresponding to the spacing of the bosses 73 from the axis of the spin cap 67. Thus, the bosses 73 and the recesses 82 are in axial alignment when the snap cap 66 and the spin cap 67 are positioned as shown in FIGURES 6 and 7 with the dispensing openings 72 and 81 in registration. The snap cap 66 can be rotated in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 6 of the drawing to bring the dispensing openings 72 and 81 out of registration, as shown in FIGURE 8 of the drawing. In the position of the caps 66 and 67 shown in FIGURE 8, a respective boss 73 of each of the plurality of bosses of the spin cap 67 enters an associated dispensing opening 81 of the snap cap 66 while each of th dispensing openings 72 and the end wall 68 of the spin cap 67 underly an associated one of the plurality of indentations or recesses 82 in the snap cap 66. The entry of the bosses 73 into the dispensing openings 81 provides positive stops for securing the caps 66 and 67 in the non-dispensing position thereof (FIGURE 8) while the entrance of the bosses 73 into the recesses or indentations 82 (FIGURE 7) provides positive stops for maintaining the dispensing openings 72 and 81 in axial alignment in the dispensing position of the dispensing closure as shown in FIGURES 6 and 7.

The peripheral skirt of the snap cap 66 is substantially identical to the peripheral skirt 34 of the snap cap 12 of- FIGURES 1 through 5 of the drawings. However, the skirt 80 is slightly longer than the skirt 34, and prior to securing the dispensing closure 65 to a container 83 a bottom edge 84 of the skirt 80 is spaced slightly above the bottom edge 74 of the skirt 70 of thespin cap 67. This slight projection of the bottom edge 74 of the skirt 70 beyond the bottom edge 84 of the skirt 80 allows the skirt 70 to be spin-welded to a shoulder 85 of the container 83 in the manner heretofore described in the consideration of FIGURES 1 through 5 of the drawing without the occurrence of a spin-weld between the bottom edge 84 of the skirt 80 and the shoulder 85.

The skirt 80 of the snap cap 66 has a radially inwardly opening annular groove 86 including a camming surface or wall 87 against which an annular bottom edge (unnumbered) of the annular head 75 coacts in the manner heretofore described in the consideration of the dispensing closure 10. In addition to this coaction between the head 75 and the camming surface 87, it should be noted that the rotation of the snap cap 66 with respect to the spin cap 67 in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction causes a lifting of the snap cap 66 by the camming action between the bosses 73 and the recesses 82 when the snap cap 66 is rotated from the position shown in FIGURE 7 to the position shown in FIGURE 8, while a substantially identical camming action takes place between the bosses 73 and the dispensing openings 81 when the snap cap 66 is rotated in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in FIGURE 8 to the position shown in FIGURE 7. Thus, in any relative position of the spin and snap caps 67 and 66 respectively, other than the fully registered position between the bosses 73, the openings 81 and the recesses 82, the end wall 76 and the skirt 80 of the snap cap 66 is urged upwardly relative to the spin cap 67. This upward movement urges the camming surface 87 upwardly into forceful bearing dispensing closure 65 is spin-welded to the shoulder 85 in' the manner identical to that heretofore discussed. Assuming the dispensing openings 72 and 81 are in registration (FIGURE 7) the container 83 is merely shaken in a conventional manner to dispense the product therefrom through these openings. During such dispensing, the bosses 73 and the recesses 82 maintain these dispensing openings 72 and 81 in axial alignment. Furthermore, in the dispensing position of the dispensing closures 65, shown in FIGURE 7, the end walls 68 and 76 are in intimate engagement, thus rendering the dispensing closure 65 substantially dust-proof.

When the snap cap 66 is rotated in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction against the camming ac tion between the bead 75 and the camming surface 87, the end walls 68 and 76 separate slightly until the bosses 73 are each received in an associated dispensing opening 81 of the snap cap 66 (FIGURE 8). In this position the dispensing closure 65 is closed, i.e., the dispensing openings 72 and 81 are no longer in registration. The end walls 68 and 76 are again in intimate engagement with the recesses 82 overlying the dispensing openings 72 and the bosses 73 received in the dispensing openings 81 to again maintain the substantially dust-proof condition of the dispensing closure 65.

The dispensing closures and 65 have been both described as being particularly adapted for use with containers in which is packaged dusty or pulverulent material. However, granular or even liquid material can be packaged in these containers. In the case of a liquid product, it should be particularly noted that the spin-weld between the respective spin caps and the containers affords a substantially liquid type seal between the spin caps and the containers.

Both the dispensing closures 10 and 65 and the components thereof have been described as being preferably constructed from plastic material, and the containers with which these dispensing closures are associated are also preferably formed from plastic material. However, it is considered within the scope of this invention to construct the dispensing closures and the containers from other material such as metal, so long as the dispensing closures in the containers are compatible with the product to be packaged in the containers.

While the spin caps 11 and 67 have been described specifically as being spin-welded to the respective shoulders 60 and 85 of the respective containers 56 and 83, it is also within the scope of this invention to secure the spin caps to the containers by an adhesive or other conventional securing means.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the desired end. However, attention is again directed to the fact that variations may be made in the example dispensing closures and the components thereof disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A dispensing closure comprising a first cap, said first cap including an end wall and a depending peripheral skirt, at least one opening in said end wall, said skirt including a peripheral bead, a second cap, said second cap having an end Wall and a depending peripheral skirt in telescopic relationship with the skirt of the first cap, said first and second caps being relatively rotatable, at least one axially directed boss carried by one of said end walls, the other of said end walls having a convex surface, said at least one boss having a terminal surface contacting the convex surface of said other end wall whereby said end walls are maintained generally in spaced relationship, at least one opening in said second cap end wall, said openings being in registration in a first relative position of said first and second caps and out of registration in a second relative position of said first and second CEIPSLIHCQHS cooperative between the first and second caps for limiting the rotation of the second cap between the first and second relative position thereof, a groove in said second'cap skirt receiving the bead of said first cap, said groove having a camming wall, the axial distance between the terminal surface and the camming wall being less than the axial distance between the convex surface and the camming wall prior to the assembly of the first and second caps whereby upon the assembly of the caps the convex surface of the one end wall is urged into intimate sealing contact with the terminal surface of said boss.

1 2. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said boss has an opening and said opening is in registration with said end wall openings in one of said first and second relative positions of said first and second caps.

3. The dispensing closure as define-d in claim 1 including at least a second axially directed boss carried by one of said end walls, one of said bosses having an opening and the other of said bosses being devoid of an opening, the opening of said one boss being in registration with 8 said end wall openings in one of said first and second relative positions of said first and second caps, and said second boss being in registration with said end wall openings in the other of said first and second relative positions of said first and second caps.

4. A dispensing closure compirsing a first cap, said first cap including an end wall and a depending peripheral skirt, a plurality of openings in said end wall, said skirt including a peripheral bead, a rotatable second cap, said second cap having an end wall and a depending peripheral skirt in telescopic relationship with the skirt of the first cap, a plurality of axially directed bosses carried by one of said end walls, the other of said end walls having a convex surface, said bosses each having a terminal surface contacting the convex surface of said other end wall whereby said end walls are maintained generally in spaced relationship, a plurality of openings in said second cap end wall, said openings being in registration in a first relative position of said first and second caps and out of registration in a second relative position of said first and second caps, means cooperative between the first and second caps for limiting the rotation of the second cap between the first and second relative positions thereof, a groove in said second cap skirt receiving the bead of said first cap, said groove having a camming wall, the axial distance between the terminal surfaces and the camming wall being less than the axial distance between the convex surface and the camming wall prior to the assembly of the first and second caps whereby upon the assembly of the caps and convex surface of the one end wall is urged into intimate sealing contact with the terminal surfaces of said bosses.

5. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 4 wherein selected ones of said bosses are provided with openings and other of said bosses are devoid of openings, and said bosses are spaced a radial distancefrom the cap axes equal to the radial distance of the openings in the cap end walls from the cap axes whereby said end wall openings and boss openings are in registration in one of the relative positions of said caps to permit dispensing of a product from a container with which the dispensing closure is associated, and said bosses which are devoid of openings are in registration with said end wall openings in another of the relative positions of said caps to prevent dispensing of a product.

6. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 4 wherein said rotation limiting means are a plurality of keys and keyways forming portions of the first and second caps.

7. A dispensing closure comprising a first cap, said first cap including an end wall and a depending peripheral skirt, at least one opening in said end wall, said skirt including an external peripheral bead, a second cap, said second cap having an end wall and a depending peripheral skirt in external telescopic relationship with the skirt of the first cap, said first and second caps being relatively rotatable, at least one axially directed boss carried by one of said end walls, the other of said end walls having a convex surface, said at least one boss having a terminal surface contacting the convex surface of said other end wall thereby maintaining said end walls in generally spaced relationship, at least one opening in said second cap end wall, said openings being in registration in a first relative position of said first and second caps and out of registration in a second relative position of said first and second caps, means cooperative between the first and second caps for limiting the rotation of the second cap between the first and second relative position thereof, a radially inwardly opening roove in said second cap skirt receiving the bead of said first cap, said groove having a camming wall, the axial distance between the terminal surface and the camming wall being less than the axial distance between the convex surface and the camming wall prior to the assembly of the first and second caps whereby upon the assembly of the caps the convex surface of the one end wall is urged into intimate sealing contact with the terminal surface of said boss.

8. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 7 wherein said boss is carried by the end wall of said second cap.

9. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 8 wherein said boss has an opening and said opening is in registration with said end wall openings in one of said first and second relative positions of said first and second caps.

10. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 8 including at least a second axially directed boss carried by the end wall of said second cap, one of said bosses having an opening and the other of said bosses being devoid of an opening, the opening of said one boss being in registration with said end Wall openings in one of said first and second relative positions of said first and second caps, and said second boss being in registration with said end wall openings in the other of said first and second relative positions of said first and second caps.

11. A dispenser-container comprising a container including a container body terminating in a neck portion, an inner cap having a top wall dispenser portion extending convexly outwardly and a downwardly extending peripheral skirt in telescopic relationship to said neck portion, retaining means for preventing axial displacement of said inner cap ofi said container neck portion, an outer cap coaxially disposed with respect to said inner cap, said outer cap having a top wall dispenser portion and a downwardly extending peripheral skirt in external telescopic relationship to the peripheral skirt of said inner cap, said top wall dispenser portion presenting a centrally disposed top wall section of given thickness spaced from the underlying top wall portion of the inner cap and an outer marginal portion of greater thickness having a bottom surface disposed in contact with a corresponding outwardly convex surface portion on the top wall portion of the inner cap so as to form sealing means therewith, at least one dispensing opening in the thicker marginal portion of the outer top wall dispenser portion and in the inner top wall dispenser portion, said dispensing openings being adapted to be moved into and out of registration upon relative rotation of said inner and outer caps between first and second positions, and means for maintaining said sealing means of said outer and inner caps resiliently against axial movement out of sealing contact in at least one of said first and second positions.

12. A dispenser-container comprising a container including a container body terminating in a neck portion, an

inner cap having a dome-shaped top portion and a peripheral skirt extending downwardly from said top portion in telescopic relationship to said neck portion, retaining means for preventing axial displacement of said inner cap of said container neck portion,an outer cap coaxially disposed with respect to said inner cap and equipped with a top wall dispenser portion and a downwardly extending peripheral skirt in external telescopic relationship to the peripheral skirt of said inner cap, said outer cap top wall dispenser portion presenting an internal surface adjacent and relatively rotatable with respect to an external surface of the inner cap, said top Wall dispenser portion being relatively flat and having downwardly projecting means presenting sealing surfaces complementary to and disposed in contact with sealing surfaces on the dome portion of said inner cap, dispensing openings correspondingly disposed and angularly spaced in the dome portion of the inner cap and in the downwardly projecting means of the outer cap and adapted to be moved into and out of registration uponrelative rotation of said inner and outer caps between first and second positions, and means for relatively positioning the caps in an axial direction and effecting forces tending to deform the surface of the underlying-dome portion and create a positive seal between said complementary surfaces at least in one of said first and second positions.

13. The dispenser-container as defined in claim '11 wherein said retaining means are efiFective to prevent relative rotation between said inner cap and said neck portion, and stop means for effecting accurate registration of said openings in one of said first and second positions.

14. The dispenser-container as defined in claim 13 wherein said neck portion terminates in an edge, and said edge is in generally spaced relationship to the top wall dispenser portion of the inner cap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,029,003 4/1962 Gronerneyer 222548 X 3,125,260 3/1964 Dreps 222548 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

W. SOBIN, Assistant Examiner. 

11. A DISPENSER-CONTAINER COMPRISING A CONTAINER INCLUDING A CONTAINER BODY TERMINATING IN A NECK PORTION, AN INNER CAP HAVING A TOP WALL DISPENSER PORTION EXTENDING CONVEXLY OUTWARDLY AND A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING PERIPHERAL SKIRT IN TELESCOPIC RELATIONSHIP TO SAID NECK PORTION, RETAINING MEANS FOR PREVENTING AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OF SAID INENR CAP OFF SAID CONTAINER NECK PORTION, AN OUTER CUP COAXIALLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO SAID INNER CAP, SAID OUTER CAP HAVING A TOP WALL DISPENSER PORTION AND A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING PERIPHERAL SKIRT EXTERNAL TELESCOPIC RELTIONSHIP TO THE PERIPHERAL SKIRT OF SAID INNER CAP, SAID TOP WALL DISPENSER PORTION PRESENTING A CENTRALLY DISPOSED TOP WALL SECTION OF GIVEN THICKNESS SPACED FROM THE UNDERLYING TOP WALL PORTION OF THE INNER CAP AND AN OUTER MARGINAL PORTION OF GREATER THICKNESS HAVING A BOTTOM SURFACE DISPOSED IN CONTACT WITH A CORRESPONDING OUTWARDLY CONVEX SURFACE PORTION ON THE TOP WALL PORTION OF THE INNER CAP SO AS TO FORM SEALING MEANS THEREWITH, AT LEAST OEN DISPENSING OPENING IN THE THICKER MARGINAL PORTION OF THE OUTER TOP WALL DISPENSER PORTION AND IN THE INNER TOP WALL DISPENSER PORTION, SAID DISPENSING OPENINGS BEING ADAPTED TO BE MOVED INTO AND OUT OF REGISTRATION UPON RELATIVE ROTATION OF SAID INNER AND OUTER CAPS BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS, AND MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID SEALING MEANS OF SAID OUTER AND INNER CAPS RESILIENTLY AGAINST AXIAL MOVEMENT OUT OF SEALING CONTACT IN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS. 